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Melvin Earl Wannemacher, 81

Melvin Earl Wannemacher, 81, died the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013.
He was born Feb. 24, 1931, to the late Velma Huysman and Andrew Wannemacher, in Celina.
On Sept. 28, 1963, he married Marilyn Kinstle. She survives in Lima.
He also is survived by daughters, Jayne Wannemacher, of Cincinnati, Beth (Matt) Sanders, of Corona del Mar, Calif., Karen (Jim) Frey, of Cincinnati, and Amy Wannemacher, of Lima; granddaughters, Lauren and Reagan Frey, of Cincinnati; sisters, Jeanette (Harold deceased) Faller, of Celina, and Eileen (Ray) Art, of Springfield, Va.; a brother, Larry Wannemacher, of Wheaton, Md.; brother-in-laws, Harold (deceased) (Laura Mae) Kinstle Jr., and Larry (Betty) Kinstle; a sister-in-law, Ruthie (Kenny deceased) Koenig; and many nieces and nephews.
He graduated from Immaculate Conception High School, where he was senior class president, in 1949, and from the University of Dayton in 1954. While at UD, he was a member of the baseball team and the glee club. After graduation, he had a long career working in marketing research for Gillette, as a franchise owner of Baskin Robbins located in the Lima Mall, and ending with the Worth Center.
A lifelong athlete and sports fan, he supported his local teams and his beloved UD Flyers. He took great pride in and loved attending his granddaughters’ activities. He spent his retirement with his morning coffee group at McDonald’s and was a frequent patron of the public library.
After the love of his family, his main passion was golf. He enjoyed the game for more than 70 years, starting as a caddy for his dad and friends. He won many local and city tournaments and was thrilled to have had seven hole-in-ones. His career was punctuated in 2007 with his election into the Lima/Allen County Golf Hall of Fame.
Visitation is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Chamberlain-Huckeriede Funeral Home followed by a parish wake at 8:00 p.m.
A mass of Christian burial is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Charles Catholic Church.Entombment is to be in the Gethsemani Mausoleum Cemetery, in Lima.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Lima Public Library, Lima Jr. Golf Association or the American Heart Association.
Online condolences may be made to the family at chamberlainhuckeriede.com